


A Hundred Ways to Say 'I Love You'

by lunarwaves



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 100 Ways to Say I Love You Writing Challenge, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 17,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23572174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarwaves/pseuds/lunarwaves
Summary: "As the blue eyed girl wrapped herself in a blanket and settled her head against the window, Zuko wondered, not for the first time, what he did to deserve this happiness."(100 ways to say 'I Love You', and we're going to get through all of them.)
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 200
Kudos: 201
Collections: steambending





	1. pull over. let me drive for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Pull over. Let me drive for a while."_

Zuko blinked awake, slowly becoming aware of the darkness outside and the crick in his neck. “Katara?” he rasped out, mouth surprisingly dry.

She peeked over at him, a quick flicker of blue eyes illuminated by a glowing screen at the front of the car. “You’re awake.”

“How long have you been driving?” He opened the plastic bottle sitting in the coffee holder next to him and chugged the lukewarm water.

“Just a few hours. It’s no big deal.”

“You should have woken me earlier,” he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Driving at night like this was surreal, with the few stars dotting the sky seeming brighter, and the city lights giving the world an ethereal glow. Cruising down the nearly empty street and watching everything go by in a flash of color made it easy to feel as though he and Katara were the only people in the world.

“But you looked so cute while you were sleeping.” The corner of his girlfriend’s lips flicked upwards.

Zuko rolled his eyes and placed his hand gently on Katara’s knee. “It’s my turn now. Pull over. Let me drive for a while.”

“I can go a little bit longer,” Katara responded, stifling a yawn. The lights of the town blurred past them as they sped down the highway, just a few miles closer to their destination.

“We won’t be going anywhere if you fall asleep and crash the car,” he stated, not unkindly. “Pull over. You need to rest too.”

She began preparing to go off the highway, turning on the turn signal to exit. “Fine. If you insist,” she sighed, but the soft smile on her face told Zuko she wasn’t really mad.

They switched seats in the middle of a gas station, the harsh lighting emphasizing the weary set to Katara’s mouth and messy hair slowly falling out of it’s bun. Though he probably looked equally disheveled, Zuko felt something tug at his heartstrings, and he impulsively leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Get some rest. I’ll wake you in a few hours.”

She leaned into his embrace for a moment. “Yes sir,” Katara said in a mock serious tone, before walking to the passenger side of the car.

As the blue eyed girl wrapped herself in a blanket and settled her head against the window, Zuko wondered, not for the first time, what he did to deserve this happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm stupid and my tumblr and AO3 accounts look sad and empty so i'm going to go through all 100 of these. what am i doing. 
> 
> find me on [tumblr](https://avatar-the-last-jerkbender.tumblr.com/)


	2. it reminded me of you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"It reminded me of you."_

“Sokka, let me play pirates with you!” Katara whined, stomping her foot on the floor of the playground.

“No! Boys only! You’re icky!” Her brother stuck his tongue out at her as Zuko looked on, paper hat askew.

“I’m going to tell mom!” she shouted up, head tilted towards the top of the playground structure.

Zuko waved his sword indignantly at her statement. “No one likes a tattler, Tara!” 

For a moment, the seven year old girl felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. It was one thing for her brother to be mean to her, but Zuko too? “No one likes you!” 

Don’t cry, she reminded herself, turning away from the two boys. Sokka said only babies cry. Katara stepped off the playground, sitting down in the dirt. Fine then. She would just have fun by herself. She didn’t need Sokka or his stupid friends to play with anyways. 

Her fingers raked through the soft brown soil, churning up the ground as she listened to her brother dramatically battle a shark with the other boy. If they had let her play with them, Katara would have come up with something way cooler than a shark battle.

When she first saw the centipede crawling through the dirt, her response was to make a face and poke at it. While the girl wasn’t easily repulsed by bugs, even she had to admit this one looked disgusting. Squinting at the slowly moving animal, a plan slowly hatched in Katara’s head.

Gingerly bringing the bug into her cupped palms, she stood. “Zuko! I want to show you something.”

“Not now,” he grumbled, but Katara didn’t miss the spark of curiosity in his eyes as he walked towards her, foam sword still in hand.

She leaned closer to him, and his eyes widened, a flash of gold brighter than the sun beating down on them. “Catch!”

Zuko let out a very unmanly shriek as she threw the bug at him, dropping the sword and holding his hands up to shield his face. “What is that?!”

“It’s a bug, stupid!” Katara shouted back gleefully. “It reminded me of you! Because it’s ugly!” Giggling, she ran away, listening to Zuko’s disgusted yells and Sokka’s laughter.

She had won this time. And she would win everytime after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 2! 
> 
> shameless [tumblr](https://avatar-the-last-jerkbender.tumblr.com/) plug


	3. no, no, it's my treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _No, no, it's my treat._

**Day 1:**

Katara arrived at the Mug Shot at 6:00 pm sharp, ready for another evening of making coffee and weary smiles.

She loved her job, even though it could be tiring. The coffee shop was locally run and the owner was flexible enough to let her work only evenings. Despite the later hour, the shop was filled with the chatter of other university students, and the smell of coffee beans.

The blue-eyed girl nodded a greeting to Suki, who was manning the cash register before depositing her bag and taking her place among the appliances.

Though there wasn’t a large rush, the cups came at a steady pace and she squinted at them, trying to decipher Suki’s illegible handwriting.

That day only one order stood out to her: a cappuccino with 3 shots of espresso, and 3 pumps of vanilla syrup. This person was definitely going to stay up all night. “A cappucino with espresso and vanilla syrup for… Zooby?”

“It’s Zuko. Thank you.” 

Katara looked up from the cup to see a tall man in front of her. He was cute, she realized, taking in the tall stature, messy black hair, and golden eyes. She watched him take the cup and leave, staring curiously at his back before bringing her attention to the next drink.

**Day 2:**

Katara arrived at the Mug Shot at 6:00 pm sharp, ready for another evening of making coffee and weary smiles.

The blue-eyed girl nodded a greeting to Suki, who was manning the cash register before depositing her bag and taking her place among the appliances.

There were less people in the shop today- the university had a three-day weekend starting tomorrow and most had headed home already. She herself would be leaving tomorrow to visit her family.

The cups were slid towards her with less regularity, and Katara soon found her mind wandering. After absently making a few orders, she reached one that prodded at her memory.

A cappuccino with 3 shots of espresso, and 3 pumps of vanilla syrup. “A cappuccino with espresso and vanilla syrup for… Zuko.” The name came to her as she read it. The cute guy!

“Thank you.” He went to grab the cup and walk away, but Katara stopped him.

“Hey wait. You were here yesterday, weren’t you?” 

“Uh… yeah.” He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. “You didn’t say my name right.”

The way he spoke made the words seem like less of an accusation, and more of a fact. He wasn’t wrong, she reflected.

“Sorry about that. But have a good break!”

Zuko smiled at her, the small grin making Katara’s heart stutter slightly. “You too.”

Once again, she watched him turn away from her and leave the store. 

**Day 3:**

Katara arrived at the Mug Shot at 6:00 pm sharp, ready for another evening of making coffee and weary smiles.

The blue-eyed girl nodded a greeting to Suki, who was manning the cash register before depositing her bag and taking her place among the appliances.

Her break had been good- her brother was back home from his university too so they were able to spend almost three whole days getting on each other's nerves.

She didn’t know how much she had missed him, her mother, and her father until they were finally under the same roof once again. Coming back to university was hard, but in the end Katara was able to do it.

The shop was once again running at its usual rate, a background noise of conversation sufficient enough to distract Katara from getting lost in her own thoughts.

When the now familiar order came, she remembered who it was for. “A cappuccino with espresso and vanilla syrup for Zuko,” she said, not even bothering to try and read off the name.

“Thank you.” Zuko made eye contact with her as she slid the cup over to him. Katara looked at him expectantly as he cleared his throat. “Did you, um, have a good break?”

The mind-numbingness of the past few hours faded away, replaced by a new alertness pulsing through her veins. “I did, actually. You?”

“I did too.” He grabbed the cup and began to walk away. “I’ll see you around,” Zuko called, before turning and exiting the shop.

As Katara watched him leave, she conceded that she might have a crush.

**Day 7:**

A few days passed and Katara found herself looking forward to seeing Zuko. 

His visits, though short, made her insides twist up and her heart flutter. It had been so long since she had liked anyone, and this man was a breath of fresh air.

“Do you have a name?” Zuko asked her, the seventh day she interacted with him.

“Oh. Yes.” She smiled. “I’m Katara.” 

“That’s pretty.”

You’re pretty. “Thank you. Zuko is a nice name too.”

“You’re just saying that because I complimented you.”

Katara let a short laugh escape her throat as she went back to make more coffee. He had been hanging around slightly longer each day, engaging her in conversation as she went about her work. Anytime she felt guilty about the fraternization, the blue-eyed girl justified it by thinking about how her coffee-making wasn’t hindered at all. Plus, her supervisor hadn’t said anything negative about her customer service. 

“Caramel macchiato for Bumi!” she announced, before returning to the conversation at hand. “No, no, I actually do like it. It’s Fire Nation, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Zuko shifted to the side to let the customer get their drink before speaking again. “So what’s your coffee order?”

She wrinkles her nose, leaning onto the counter with her forearms and looking up at him. “I’m actually kind of sick of coffee. Tea too.”

He glances at her with a surprised look, dark eyebrows raised. “Really? You work and study without any caffeine?”

“I drink a lot of energy drinks,” Katara confessed, heart leaping at the crooked grin that appears on his face. “I also have a sweet tooth so… I guess sugar helps me survive too.”

“Oh? Let me buy you something.”

She feels her cheeks heat up and thanks the heavens for giving her darker skin- she didn’t know what she would do if Zuko saw her blushing. “I’m not allowed to eat on duty.”

“Then eat it after,” he responded, walking towards the cashier already.

“At least let me pay for it,” she called out, a bit desperately.

“No, no. It’s my treat.”

A few minutes and distractedly made coffees later, she sees a paper sleeve slide towards her. “Have a good night Katara,” Zuko says before leaving the shop once again.

Once her shift ends, she reaches for the packet with shaky fingers, pulling out the cookie inside. Belatedly, she realizes there’s a note written on the paper with black sharpie, and she reads it as she eats.  
 _  
Something sweet, for a sweet girl.  
Call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX  
\- Zuko   
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> askjdhasdj this is not as quality as i wanted but *jazz hands* here it is
> 
> come yell at me on [tumblr](https://avatar-the-last-jerkbender.tumblr.com/)


	4. come here. let me fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _“Come here. Let me fix it."_

Prince- no, _Fire Lord_ Zuko winced as he struggled to lift his hurt arm enough to put the heavy ceremonial armor on.

“Need some help?”

He looked up to see Katara, leaning on the door frame and waiting to come in.

“Yes, please.”

The waterbender quickly closed the distance between them and lifted the stiff piece of clothing over his head. “Are you ready for your speech?”

“You mean to the thousands of people waiting outside, anticipating whether or not I’ll fail or be an even bigger shitstain than my father was?” Zuko snorts, letting his arms drop and rolling his shoulders back experimentally. “No.”

Katara rolled her eyes, standing across him as he tried to put his hair into a topknot. “You’re not a shitstain Zuko. You’re an inspiration and a wonderful human being.”

The newly crowned Fire Lord winced as he brought his bandaged shoulder up, strands of hair falling out of the hairstyle. “Are you sure that’s what they think?”

She bit her lip, blue eyes meeting gold before speaking quietly. “Come here. Let me fix it.” Zuko sat on a chair, and the water bender raked her fingers through the soft raven hair, arranging it into a topknot and placing the small crown in it. “And yes, I’m sure. You’ve done so much for this nation and most, if not all of the people understand that.”

Zuko looked up at her, leaning slightly into the hand still on his head. “I’m still terrible at public speaking though.”

Katara let out a short laugh before bending over and pressing her lips to his forehead. “You’ll be fine. Now get out there.”

A slight blush tinted his cheeks as he nodded and stood, ready to address his country and its men.


	5. i'll walk you home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I'll walk you home."_

Zuko blearily picked up his ringing cell phone, frowning at Suki’s name on the screen before swiping to accept the call.

“Hello?” he asked politely, tactfully not mentioning the fact that it was 12 am on a Saturday and that whatever she was calling for had better be damn important because he was enjoying going to bed early, thank you very much.

“Hi. Zuko? Can I ask a favor?” He heard raucous laughter on the other end of the phone, along with the sound of something breaking.

“Sure,” he replied, already regretting it. 

“So I’m going home with Sokka and… Katara’s going a little crazy. Could you please come get her?”

Zuko clenched his teeth, exhaling softly before talking. “Why me?”

“I know you guys don’t get along- Sokka _stop it_ \- but you’re the only one who’s picked up and it’s late and I know I’m rambling but please?”

He rolled his eyes, weighing his options. On one hand he could hang up and let Suki heckle some other poor soul into wrangling Katara. But that left the possibility that Suki wouldn’t find anyone else and Katara- unrelenting bitch as she was- would end up dead in a ditch, and that would make him feel bad. On the other hand, he could be a good friend and help out someone he cared about, even though he would have to handle someone he didn’t care about at all.

“You owe me,” he spat out, rolling out of bed to pull on a more socially acceptable pair of pants. “Just tell me where the party is.”

***

Once at the frat house, he shoves his way through the crowd, zeroing in on Katara leaning against the wall and laughing at something the guy across from her was saying.

As she locks her stormy blue eyes on him, he grabs her by the arm and drags her off, barely giving her a chance to react to his presence. “Show’s over. I’ll walk you home,” Zuko says curtly as he hauls her outside.

“Zuko! I was in the middle of a conversation!” she screeches as the humid night air finally hits them.

“I don’t care,” he replies, steadying her as she almost topples into him. “Smooth, Katara.”

She shoots him a glare, the streetlight illuminating the slight halo of frizz framing her face and making her seem like an avenging angel. “I know Suki told you to-” the blue-eyed girl waved her hand and hiccuped, trying to pull the words out of the air “-to help me but I was fine! I don’t need your help! And I was talking to someone!”

“Clearly.” He warily kept an eye on Katara as he let go of her arm, making sure she didn’t fall face first onto the pavement. “Can you walk?”

“Yes.” As if to prove her point, she veered further from him before once again tripping over her own feet. “Stupid sidewalk,” she mumbled.

Zuko had half a mind to just let her suffer (seeing Katara turn her glare onto the pavement was pretty funny) but the need to just get rid of her already overruled that part of his brain. He thought out his next course of action, calculating the odds of it getting him killed. “Here, hop on.”

Katara turned to see him squatting slightly, arms crooked. She stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment, before what he was doing finally clicked for her. “No way.”

The man rolled his eyes, but remained in his position. “You’re not really in any state to walk all the way home.”

“I’m fine.” She walked a few steps ahead of him, before her ankle rolled and she slipped.

“The offer still stands,” Zuko called out, easily strolling over to her.

Katara stared, looking at him as though he’d suddenly grown a third head before sighing. “Up.”

He squatted once more and she hopped on his back, bringing her arms around his neck. “Which dorms?” he asked.

“Karasuno.”

Zuko nodded, wrapping his arms more firmly around her legs before heading in the direction of the dorm building.

They moved in silence for a moment before the blue-eyed girl spoke again, nestling her head in the crook of Zuko’s neck. “So what kind of loser doesn’t go out on a weekend?”

He rolled his eyes once again, making sure to jostle her a little extra for that comment. “I went out last weekend. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to sleep a little more. Which I couldn’t even do thanks to you.”

“Your problem,” she replied unabashedly. “Why did you come anyways?”

“Suki asked. I didn’t want to leave her hanging. We’re here.” Zuko kept his reponses short, looking at the sign indicating they had reached the dorm. “I can take you up if you want.”

“Yes please.”

That was probably the most polite she’d been to him all night.

The lobby was eerily empty at this time of night, the lights illuminating the tables and chairs usually occupied by day. The two of them are able to quickly find an elevator and step in.

“What floor?”

Katara reaches past him to push the number ‘4’. The doors slide shut and they begin moving as Zuko adjusts his grip on her once again.

“You know, I thought you hated me,” she remarks casually, surprisingly coherent considering her inebriated state.

“I don’t. Strongly dislike would be a better description.” His tongue has loosened with the late hour, Zuko thinks. As he watches the numbers change with the elevator's motion, he hopes she's drunk enough to forget every bit of their conversation.

“Why though?”

Zuko sighs. “You’re not very nice to me.” How the fuck else was he supposed to answer that question?

She ponders this statement for a second, before digging her heel into his side. The golden-eyed man yelps and whips his head around to glare at her, finding their faces surprisingly close together. “You’re not very nice to me either!” Katara retorts.

He rolls his eyes and wishes for the ride to end, watching the floor number change from a two to a three torturously slowly. “You make it too easy.”

“Shut up,” she grumbles, leaning into him once again as they finally reach her floor.

By now, Zuko’s arms are shaking slightly from carrying the girl all the way from the frat house, and he deposits her quickly after she points him in the direction of her room.

“I’ll just… yeah,” Katara says as she fumbles with the lock and finally gets the door to her dorm open. “I still don’t like you,” she adds as a way of saying goodbye, before shutting the door gently in Zuko’s face.

“I don’t like you either, asshole,” the man mumbles. But as he walks away, he realizes he didn’t hate this night as much as he thought he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i upped the rating to T bc hehe drinking


	6. have a good day at work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Have a good day at work."_

Katara was having a Very Bad day.

The train line she usually took to work was closed down, and she had to figure out a new route on the spot. She was already running late and the coffee she ordered as a pick me up took even longer than usual to make.

As she awkwardly jogged from the coffee shop to her office building, trying to sip as she travelled, she spilled the entire drink down her front.

So now Katara was grouchy, uncaffeinated, and looked like someone had dumped an espresso machine down her front. 

She mumbled a greeting to the receptionist and headed to her office, only to be faced with her boss telling her she was late and that she was booked for meetings until her lunch hour.

Katara gritted her teeth and smiled, ignoring the way her boss frowned at her coffee stained blouse before finally leaving her office.

The morning passed in a stressful blur and by the time her lunch break came around, she was ready to cry.

Zuko had made lunch for the both of them this morning- a simple sandwich on wheat bread left in a paper bag on the counter. Just like elementary school. As she unrolled the bag with one hand, she also pulled up a spreadsheet on her computer.

Being late had pushed her further behind than she had thought.

Pulling out the sandwich resulted in a little pink sticky note falling out as well, fluttering down to her desk.

Despite the way her morning went, Katara found her lips curling into a smile as she read the short message, taking in the scratchy handwriting and the smiley face doodled in the corner.

_Have a good day at work! Love you!_

Just like in elementary school, she thought wryly, thinking about how her Very Bad day was starting to look just a little better.


	7. i dreamt about you last night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I dreamt about you last night."_

“You know… I dreamt about you last night?”

“Oh?” Katara quirked an eyebrow and took a sip of her vanilla milkshake.

“Well not just you,” Zuko amended. “Us and all our friends. Aang, Toph, Suki… even your brother.”

“What kind of dream was that?” she replied, slightly scandalized. 

“It was really weird actually..”

The blue-eyed girl prepared herself for the worst as her boyfriend started describing his dream.

“So each of us could manipulate an element. Except Sokka and Suki. And Aang had all four. And we had to help him defeat my father, who was evil for some reason? He was plotting world domination or something so we came together and beat him. Also Azula was there. And she was completely crazy.”

“I-” Katara released a shaky exhale, trying to absorb what Zuko had just told her. “Okay. Wow. So what element could I control? Which one could you?”

Zuko frowned and slurped at his milkshake noisily. “I think they called it bending. And I was using fire but you were working with water.”

“Huh. Opposites attract, I guess?”

“You know-” he reached out a hand over the table and Katara took it, resting her fingers on the back of his palm. “-we even fought together in the dream?”

She laughed. “I feel bad for whoever we fought then.”

“I took lightning for you,” he whispered, voice hushed.

“...What?”

“Nothing.” Zuko cleared his throat and smiled at her, teeth pearly white despite the chocolate milkshake he was drinking. “My sister shot lightning at you, and I got hit by it instead. It was okay though, you healed me.”

“Your _sister_?! Tried to kill us?! And could shoot _lightning_?!” Katara responded incredulously. “Did you smoke something before you slept?!”

“Nope. It was all so vivid too…”

“Well that wasn’t the dream I was expecting,” she added, absently swirling her straw around what was left of her drink.

Her boyfriend turned curious golden eyes on her. “What kind of dream then?”

Katara felt her face heating up and she turned to the side, mumbling a response.

For a moment Zuko looked at her questioningly, but when he figured it out, he laughed. “You thought I had a _sex_ dream?!”

“You don’t have to be mean about it!” Katara cried out, burying her face in her hands.

“Trust me,” he chuckled. “You do not want to know about those.”

Sometimes she wondered how they were still dating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and then they have sex in Zuko's car


	8. take my seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Take my seat."_

Zuko saw her rush onto the bus with an armful of cardboard signs, and a dead serious look on her face.

The girl was with several others. University students, he concluded but she was the only one who stood out, with her sun-kissed skin and stormy blue eyes.

As she made her way to the back of the crowded vehicle, looking for a place to sit, he made his decision.

“Here. Take my seat,” he said, standing up and moving aside. “You look like you need it more than I do.”

She turned to him, face changing into an expression of relief. “Oh! Thank you!”

As he reached up to grab one of the handles dangling from the top of the bus, Zuko’s eyes fell on one of the signs she was carrying.

‘Stop the War!’ it read in drippy red paint, partially obscuring a sloppily drawn American flag.

That’s when it all clicked for him. “Are you, uh, protesting? The war?” he clarified when she turned her big blue eyes on him.

“Yeah! Me and my friends are getting off in a few stops to join a protest. Are you?”

Zuko shook his head. “Nah. I have an errand to run.” He had always pictured protesters as angry, screaming young adults who were ready to take on the world. But seeing this girl, with the cold fire and kindness burning in her eyes made him rethink that.

“Oh. Bummer.” She turned her gaze to the signs in her arms, shuffling them nervously.

“I think it’s good what you’re doing. The war’s wrong. It should end.” Zuko knew firsthand what the Vietnam War did to families. His own cousin had been drafted a few months ago, and every day since then was spent worrying for his safety.

“Well, I agree. And if you want to fight back too, maybe you should come next time? We’re planning one around the same time next month.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe.”

The bus jolted to a stop. Zuko prepared to get off but the girl stopped him, reaching for his hand and pressing a crumpled flyer into his palm. “Hey listen. If you ever want to get into this kind of stuff, feel free to call. We always need more people. And you seem nice so..” She scratched her neck awkwardly and turned her head away from him.

He felt a small smile stretch his lips. “Sure.”

“Just ask for Katara when you do call!” she shouted after him as he walked away.

Zuko pocketed the yellow piece of paper, vowing to dial the minute he got back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this was kind of a hot mess eek


	9. i saved a piece for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I saved a piece for you."_

The cops coming to eat at his bakery were nothing new.

There were always a few of them who popped in throughout the day to grab a slice of cake or hot cup of coffee.

But Officer Katara always came in alone, just when he was about to close, and ordered the same thing- a slice of apple pie.

She rarely talked, unlike his other patrons- she just sat at a corner table by the window and watched the world go by with tired blue eyes.

Despite how the officer lingered, she would always leave at closing time with a murmured ‘have a good night’.

Not one for small talk himself, Zuko thought she was probably one of the best customers he’d ever had. 

Officer Katara had only started coming here a month ago, yet everyday the bakery was open (all days except Sunday), she was there, about 45 minutes before closing. 

It got to the point where Zuko started setting aside a slice of apple pie for her when he ran low. He would carefully place it on a napkin and once he heard the telltale ding of the shop door, he reheated and plated the slice.

Sometimes she came in with a lightness in her typically heavy gaze. Those were the days she gave him a small smile as Zuko said hello and slid warm apple pie towards her. 

Sometimes she came in with a crease in her brow and gritted teeth. Those were the days he remained silent and refused to let her pay for the food.

And this was how they worked- few words were exchanged but Zuko came to find relief in her quiet, familiar presence and tried to return the favor with the best apple pie he could possibly make.

He knew something was wrong when she didn’t come in one night. The baker glanced at the slice set aside before frowning at the clock. It was 9:30 already. Where was she?

Zuko decided he would wait. While he barely knew Katara, it didn’t seem likely that she would skip out on her daily pie slice. Not without a good reason anyways, he mused, sitting down with his laptop to get a head start on budgeting for the next month and stock plans.

Before he knew it, he was dragged into a world of numbers, trying to divide up money among how he would pay his employees as well as the maintenance fees of the small bakery. Zuko was only snapped out of his reverie when the bell at the front door dinged softly.

His head shot up, and the first thing he felt was sweet, blissful, relief. If he had been watching the clock, he would have noticed the hour hand crossing 11 but now, he didn’t care. A tension he didn’t even know he had slowly dissipated, leaving only warmth and tiredness in its wake.

Because there was Katara, looking even more exhausted and frazzled than usual.

Zuko nodded at her, sliding off his stool to reheat the apple pie, sitting cold and sticky in it’s napkin.

“I saved a piece for you,” he offered as an explanation.

She took the plate and fork from him, fingertips slightly brushing his own, but made no move away from the counter. “I didn’t even know you were open this late.”

“We’re not usually.” He shrugged, and closed the screen of his laptop. “But you didn’t come in at your usual time, and I was worried.” He looked up once again, startling slightly at the expression in her beautiful eyes.

“You didn’t close… because you were worried about me?” Katara’s voice was hushed, and there was a slightly acrid tang of smoke around her.

“Um. You’re probably my best customer. Of course I was.” What else was he supposed to say to that?

“I… there was a fire a few streets over,” she said. “They needed officers to help keep people back and I couldn’t come… you know..” She gestured at the apple pie in front of her.

Now that he didn’t know. “Is everyone okay?” Zuko asked, a note of surprise entering his voice. This was probably the most they had ever said to each other his brain supplied unhelpfully.

“Yeah, yeah everyone’s fine! The house wasn’t though. Thank you for waiting,” Katara added awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it.” He sent her a tentative smile, and was relieved to see her grin right back.

“How long will you stay open tonight?”

Zuko shrugged once again. “As long as you need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm weirdly proud of this one


	10. i'm sorry for your loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I'm sorry for your loss._
> 
> mentions of death in this one-shot

It was a relief in the way the weather matched the somber atmosphere. 

The sky was slate gray, raindrops angrily pelting black umbrellas as though to ask why this had to happen.

Katara wanted to know too. 

In hindsight, her death shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Her mom had been struggling with cancer for years, and in a cruel, twisted way, the death was a relief from the pain she must have felt.

But that didn’t stop the hurt from wracking every nerve in her body, each stifled sob sending a fresh wave of grief over her.

She tried to maintain her composure as well as she could, watching her father speak but unable to register anything other than a dull ringing in her ears. As Katara saw his lips move, she felt a warm teardrop fall and closed her eyes, feeling the damp cold around herl.

The service seemed to drag on for eternity, a never-ending ache in Katara’s chest. Yet when it finished, all she could think was that it had been too fast.

She had been asked to speak. The words were like broken glass, sliding against her throat as she tried to choke them out. Katara had wanted to speak from the heart, but her heart was shattered, and she didn’t even want to think about everything she was keeping in.

The murmured platitudes swept past her, blown away with the rain and the wind.

Until a pale hand landed on her shoulder.

Katara peered up expectantly from under her umbrella, meeting Zuko’s heavy gaze.

“I...I’m sorry for your loss. That’s something we have in common.”

And it was like a dam broke. He wasn’t good with words- after three years of friendship Katara knew that much. But the vulnerability he gave her and the way he tentatively wrapped his arms around her led her to drop the umbrella, choosing to clutch his suit with tight fists and sob into his shoulder instead.

As his fingers ran lightly through her soaked hair, conveying everything he couldn’t say, Katara let everything inside her wash away with the rain.


	11. you can have half

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"You can have half."_

“I’m supposed to marry _her_ ?!”

The advisor turned his mouth downwards slightly at Prince Zuko’s disdainful tone, before looking at the princess laughing wildly while fighting another boy with a wooden sword. “I know Princess Katara is rather… unconventional. But this marriage would do a great deal for both your kingdoms, and ensure future alliances.”

“But… she acts like a man.” Zuko frowned, taking in her trousers, probably torn and stained green with grass. “A lady should not engage in such activities.” 

“Maybe we need to be more progressive, your majesty. The world is changing, and if we don’t change with it we will fall behind.”

The crown prince continued gazing at the scene unfolding before him with a furrowed brow. He watched Katara knock the weapon out of the boy’s hand and point her sword at his chest. “I will admit she is not bad with a sword. However, I don’t think any of the world’s nations are so progressive as to allow… this.”

“There are rumors the Kingdom of Earth is letting women join it’s army.”

“Women, maybe. But princesses? I should hope not.” With that final statement, Zuko whirled away, red robe swishing behind him as he headed inside.

That very night, the Fire Lord’s family had dinner with the royal family of the Dominion of Water, a welcome to the strange land.

“...And this is my daughter Katara.” King Hakoda gestured to the girl beside him who was in a proper dress and wearing a blank expression- nothing like the girl he had seen earlier today.

Zuko met her eyes with a weak smile, surprised to see the malice and distrust burning in her gaze. “Nice to meet you, your majesty.” He bent to place his lips to the back of her hand, skin prickling as she continued to look at him with that strange expression.

Throughout the dinner, the crown prince slowly relaxed. He was introduced to the king’s firstborn son, Prince Sokka, who had married the daughter of one of the council members. As his mother, father, and sister continued to mingle with the family, Zuko couldn’t help but notice Katara’s silence.

Despite the lively atmosphere, she was simply picking at her food, eyes downcast. Even as her brother or mother tried to engage her in conversation, she would simply mumble a response before continuing to twirl a fork around her plate.

Katara finally snapped around dessert time. Slamming her utensils down, she stood abruptly. “May I be excused?” she asked her mother, toneless voice a contrast to her sudden actions.

“Dear, we’ve just started dessert,” Queen Kya replied, a smile frozen on her face.

_“Please.”_

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. “You may be excused,” the queen finally said after a beat of silence, and Zuko watched as Katara raced away from the dining hall.

“Please forgive her. She hasn’t had the best experiences with suitors,” she explained to the Fire Lord’s family as the king glowered at his plate, looking as though the dish had personally wronged him.

Zuko’s mother nodded sympathetically, and they all quietly ate their desserts.

The rest of the evening passed with awkward small talk and stilted silence, before finally, _finally_ Zuko was free.

He palmed the bread he’d nicked from the kitchen. Sokka had told him there was a turtleduck pond in their garden, and the crown prince of the Fire Nation was eager to see the reminder of his homeland.

However, he did not expect another person to be there.

For a moment he watched Katara’s silhouette, shadowed in the moonlight. So this is where she had gone. Zuko cleared his throat to alert her to his presence and she turned to look at him.

“Um… hi. Mind if I join you? I just wanted to feed… the turtleducks?” He finished his sentence feebly, once again faltering at her expression, despite it containing none of the malice from earlier. Instead her face was completely blank.

He held her gaze for a moment before she nodded, shifting slightly to let him stand beside her.

Zuko broke off a piece of the bread, tossing it into the pond and watching a few of the aquatic animals swim curiously towards it. “This garden is lovely,” he said, a weak attempt at making conversation and breaking the awkward silence.

Katara let out a breath, almost like a sigh. “Okay, look. I’ll cut right to the chase. I know what people say about me. That I’m not enough of a lady, or that my country is backwards, or whatever. Every engagement I’ve had has failed because I can’t change who I am or where I come from. I know marriage is important, for alliances and for my worth in this world.” Her lips twisted bitterly at this statement. “But I am not going to change myself for anyone, much less a man. So if you came here hoping to turn me into a perfect princess so we can get married, I would rather you just leave.”

The silence that followed her outburst was numbing, punctuated only by the soft quacks of turtleducks. Zuko’s fingers froze, halting their task of mindlessly shredding the bread. He opened his mouth but nothing seemed to come out. Taking a shuddering breath, he forced himself to throw another piece of bread in, watching the way the animals dove for it. 

“I-” He paused, trying to regain his composure. “I’m sorry. Are you allowed to just kick potential suitors out like that?”

The water princess laughed tonelessly, eyes trained on the pond.

Zuko continued to speak. “I know people might not be… accepting. I know the Fire Nation is old-fashioned. But I would like to learn and… be more open to other ways of thinking. That being said, will you still allow me to court you?”

The question hung heavy between them. A hot rope of guilt coiled in his stomach, as he thought back to Katara sword fighting in the grass, laughing without a care. A stark contrast to the princess in front of him, who was weighed down and ready to fight tooth and nail for herself.

He knew he was barely acquainted with her. But he didn’t want to make anyone unhappy. Besides, change could be good, as his advisor had said.

“I can allow that.” Katara finally looked towards him, eyes glowing silver in the moonlight.

The crown prince made a decision, tearing what was left of his bread in two. “Here. You can have half.” He extended a piece of the bread to the girl next to him.

She quietly murmured her thanks before taking it, cold fingertips brushing his own.

Both of them stayed silent as they threw small chunks into the water.

It may not have been a marriage just yet, but it was definitely something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i looked this over once before posting bc i aM BEHIND. i'll make it pretty later oop.
> 
> send me prompts or just yell at me on [tumblr](https://avatar-the-last-jerkbender.tumblr.com/)


	12. sorry i'm late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Sorry I'm late."_

The teacher was talking about something, dry erase marker writing various chemical formulas on the board, and Katara was trying her very hardest to listen.

Chemistry went over her head anyways, she mused as she tried to write down the formulas for strong acids and bases. Why was she taking this class again? Did she have a death wish?

She squinted at the board in a last ditch effort to understand, but gave up when the teacher began prattling about ions and dissociation.

She couldn’t wait until this year was over. Katara doodled a flower on her paper, head flopping onto her arm. Next year she vowed to take a science easier than stupid _chemistry_. Maybe physics would be better?

Scribbling a small stem and two leaves, Katara admired her handiwork before deciding to add something to her drawing. Maybe a bee. Bees were cute. Her pen was slowly forming the elliptical body of the insect when the door flew open, interrupting her sluggish thoughts.

“Sorry I’m late,” the newcomer panted, golden eyes wide and she sat up straighter, intrigued. Katara wasn’t the only one either- the rest of her class had perked up, eager to see who had shown up. New students were rare, especially in the middle of the school year.

The teacher smiled warmly, dropping her hand from the whiteboard. “That’s alright Mr…”

“Uh, Zuko. Is this honors chemistry?”

“Yes sir. You can talk to me after class and we will get you all caught up. For now, why don’t you sit over there?”

Katara could barely suppress her glee as the teacher pointed to the empty desk behind her. He was cute, she noted as he walked over, sliding into his seat and already pulling out a fresh notebook.

Organized too. That was hot. 

Once the teacher began teaching again, blathering once again about acids and bases, she turned around, a grin on her face.

“Hey.” Katara tapped Zuko’s desk with her pen, heart beating just a tad faster as those beautiful golden eyes met her own. Now that she was closer, she could see the shades of orange and brown, blending together to make a lovely honey color. “I’m Katara. Are you new?”

“Um… yeah? I just moved here a week ago,” he whispered back, trying not to interrupt the lesson.

“If you need someone to show you around the school, I can help you.” She was so smart. Katara was a freaking genius. Forget learning chemistry, she had chemistry with this cutie.

“Oh. That would be nice actually.” He sent her a relieved smile, which she couldn’t help but mirror.

“Sure. Who do you have next?”

“Uh..” he pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack, frowning at it. “English? With Mr. Ukai?”

The stars were aligning oh-so-perfectly. This could only be fate. “I have that next too.” Katara tried to keep the excitement out of her voice. “I can walk you if you’d like.”

“That sounds good.”

“I’ll wait for you after you talk to the teacher then.” Turning back around, she tried to focus on the concept their teacher was explaining. In the distance, she could swear there were wedding bells ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt post yesterday bc i didn't have a good idea for the prompt and ended up not writing for that one lol
> 
> that being said, please send prompts to my [tumblr](https://avatar-the-last-jerkbender.tumblr.com/)! it will definitely help me get my creative juices flowing and make better one-shots.


	13. can i have this dance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Can I have this dance?"_

Being a woman sucked. Being one with three other sisters was worse.

Her mother had been nagging her to get married for years, growing more desperate with every suitor Katara turned down and every ball she left early.

She knew that without a rich husband there was no way she could continue her lavish way of living. And relying on the slim possibility that her cousin Jet wouldn’t kick the women out when he inherited the estate was not enough. Katara was still of marriageable age, but every day, month, and year that passed felt like a ticking time bomb.

It was suffocating.

So once again, Katara put on her best clothes, pasted a smile on her face and went to the ball with her sisters, sticking close to Yue as Eska and Ashuna quickly flitted into the crowd, more likely than not hoping to ogle some men.

“How long do you think until one of these kills me?” Katara groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she watched Ashuna clumsily flirt with a well-dressed man.

Yue laughs. “You’ll be fine. I can feel it- this ball’s the one!”

“Easy for you to say. You’re engaged already!”

The white-haired girl blushed, turning away slightly and reaching up to gently touch the necklace her fiancee had given as a betrothal gift. “Katara. You will find someone. You’re beautiful, smart, and charming. Any man here would be lucky to have you.”

“I’m poor,” she deadpanned in response, desperately wishing to go back home.

“That didn’t stop me,” Yue replied, her voice soft but containing a hint of sharpness. “It will be okay.” Suddenly she smiled, noticing something over Katara’s shoulder. “More than okay.”

“What are you-” Katara turned, ready to see what Yue was looking at before openly gasping at the sight of a tall gentleman walking towards her.

“Yue.” He acknowledged her sister with a nod, before turning his golden gaze onto Katara. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced yet. I’m Zuko.”

“K-katara.” She could feel Yue smiling beside her, and Katara’s stomach flipped as she stuttered her name out.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said smoothly, before extending a hand to her. “Can I have this dance?”

“Yes!” Katara almost shouted, letting herself be led onto the ballroom floor. Maybe Zuko would end up like every other suitor she’d had- an idiot, or a sexist asshole. But, she reasoned, Yue wouldn’t allow someone like that to befriend her. Maybe this could be the start of something better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iM SO BEHIND
> 
> also i loosely based this kind of off pride and prejudice. very very loosely.


	14. i made your favorite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I made your favorite."_

“Zuko come over for dinner.”

“No.”

Katara frowns, pinching the bridge of her nose at his one word reply. “Can I ask why?”

“Your family hates me.”

Her mouth falls open at this statement, mumbled so casually over the phone. “Why would you- Zuko, they do not hate you!”

“Are you sure about that?”

He had met her parents for the first time last week, and admittedly, it was a disaster. The last boyfriend she had brought home was Jet, so in a sense it was fair for her family to be wary around Zuko, aware of the way the other boy had broken her heart.

But being protective had evolved into Sokka glaring at Zuko mistrustfully the whole dinner (“He’s fine with me at school!” Zuko had exclaimed in frustration afterwards. “Why’d he get so mean now?!”) and her mother giving him a tight-lipped smile when he complimented the chocolate cake she had made with Katara.

The worst part was probably her father. Hakoda had decided to interrogate Zuko about anything and everything, before Katara took pity on her boyfriend and interrupted the conversation.

In hindsight, it did make sense that Zuko thought her family hated him.

Zuko groaned, filling the crackling silence. “I knew it. They hate me.”

“No. They don’t,” she said with conviction. Because it was true. “Listen. After the dinner, all three of them told me they liked you. In fact, they’re the ones who asked me to invite you over again.”

Her boyfriend waited a beat before replying. “Liar.”

Katara let out a hiss of frustration, leaning against the counter and eyeing the chocolate cake she had baked with her mother earlier today. “I’m not lying. Stop being difficult.”

“I’m not difficult. You’re difficult!”

Despite herself, she smiled at the petulant tone in his voice. “Just one more dinner. Please.”

“Katara, I think you’re a wonderful person and I love dating you, but I think you’re going to have to let this go.”

She groaned, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling. Her eyes settled once again on the cake in the corner of the kitchen. Maybe she could incentivize? “Come over. Please. I made your favorite!”

“...What?”

“You know! The chocolate cake you liked last time.”

“Just because I liked it doesn’t mean it was my favorite,” Zuko retaliated. “And didn’t your mom help you make it?”

“Shut up,” she snapped without malice, her lips curling up. “Will you come over? Please. I promise my family won’t be mean this time.”

The telltale huff of his breath on the other end told Katara she had won. “Fine. I’ll be there at 6.”

“See you then,” she trilled, ending the call with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jet is NOT her cousin in this one


	15. it's okay. i couldn't sleep anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway."_

The moonlight streams through the window, tingeing everything an ethereal silver as Katara lies flat on the bed, arms raised to idly bend water from her pouch.

There were only two days left until Sozin’s comet, and sleep was the last thing on her mind.

As her brain flashed to Zuko telling them about the Fire Nation wanting to crush the Earth Kingdom, and their group realizing Sozin’s comet was essentially the end, the water swirling above her head grew icy, turning into shards she quickly hurled at the wall.

She knew their group had done all they could at this point. They had a battle plan. They had contacts. All that was left was to actually go to the Fire Nation and defeat the Fire Lord. 

But that didn’t stop the millions of possibilities swirling around her brain, mapping out infinite futures, the thoughts and feelings refusing to settle.

Letting out a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, ready to get some fresh air. The room she had taken was by no means small (the benefits of staying in the beach house of a royal family she supposed) but right now she was suffocating and restless.

Katara padded to the bedroom door, whipping it open to reveal a startled Zuko, hand poised as though he was ready to knock.

“Uh… hi. Sorry, I just needed to talk to someone. I can go back if you’d like…?” He looked oddly vulnerable in the dim light, the shadows of his face and the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than ever.

“No, it’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway. I was going to take a walk actually. Want to join me?”

If someone had told her a couple months ago the Fire Nation prince would be one of her closest allies and friends, Katara would have laughed in their face. But here she was, taking a walk with him on a beach by the light of the moon.

In literally any other situation this would be considered romantic.

“Yes please,” Zuko remarked gratefully, falling into step beside her as they exited the house into the cool night air.

They made their way to the beachfront, where Katara could see the waves gently lapping at the shore. The wind gently blew the scent of salt into her face, and a lump rose in her throat as she stared at the expanse of sand in front of them.

“Are you doing okay?” the exiled prince asked her, voice gently rasping.

“I’m not sure,” she responded honestly. 

“Yeah, me neither.”

Katara wiggled her bare toes in the sand, feeling the grains shift under her feet. “It’s just… I know we’ve done everything we can. But it all feels so sudden. And there’s so much left to do. I should be feeling stressed and panicking, and I think I am, but I also just feel… resigned.”

“You don’t think we’re going to lose do you?” Zuko followed her as she turned towards the ocean.

“No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know, I hope not.” She wrung her hands slightly desperately before just sitting on the sand. “I don’t know what to feel anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

Katara snorted lightly, tracing a design into the fine grains. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not your fault.”

She felt Zuko sit down beside her, shoulder barely touching her own, but the slight warmth reassured her. “Maybe it is though. I’m the one that mentioned the tenacity of the Earth Kingdom, which led to Azula proposing to raze everything to the ground.”

“Are you hearing yourself right now? That’s ridiculous.” Katara turned towards him, aware of how close his face was to her own. “They would have done that anyway. We should count ourselves lucky you were in that war meeting.”

“I regret it though. Going back to the Fire Nation after Ba Sing Se.”

She gets a flash to stolen moments among green crystals, to Aang’s limp body, and to stifling smoke. Katara doesn’t have to read Zuko’s mind to know that he’s thinking along the same vein.

“It turned out alright in the end. You’re one of the good guys now. You learned and grew and I think that should count for something.” She takes in the faraway look in Zuko’s eyes, bright gold even in the darkness before speaking again. “For what it’s worth, I think your uncle will be proud of who you are now.” Katara nudged his outstretched leg with her foot.

“I hope so,” Zuko sighed, before finally turning towards her. “You forgave me too.”

“And I don’t regret it.” To her surprise, Katara finds that the words are true. Forgiving Zuko was one of the best decisions she had made and she knows that no matter what happens in the next two days, they will be by each other’s side.

And maybe that fact is what persuades her to lean in and brush her lips against his, a sense of clarity in her otherwise muddled thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 ways to say i love you challenge but the author's writing gets progressively worse and lazier every prompt
> 
> thanks for reading!


	16. watch your step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Watch your step."_

Zuko winced as Katara trod on his toes for what felt like the millionth time. 

“I’m sorry! Are you alright?” Her blue gaze anxiously searched the pained expression on his face and he managed a weak smile.

“Yeah I’m fine. Just… watch your step. Please.”

“This is hopeless,” she groaned, stopping the dance altogether and smacking her head into his shoulder. “I told you I can’t dance.”

The wedding was in a couple weeks and Zuko had decided to try and choreograph their dance himself. Nothing too difficult. Just a simple foxtrot, with a few spins and dips to add flair.

Deceptively simple apparently, since Katara couldn’t seem to get through two steps without causing bodily harm to one of them.

Before this, the most dancing they had done together was swaying to slow songs and grinding against each other at clubs. But Zuko doubted the wedding guests would take kindly to Katara basically dry humping him on the dance floor.

“That’s not true,” he argued half-heartedly.

“Do we have to dance anyways? Why don’t we just break tradition and do something else? Like I don’t know… beat each other up?”

Zuko huffed out a laugh before turning his eyes up to the ceiling. “I don’t really think people want to see us wailing on each other at a classy event. Come on, let’s try again.”

Katara pouted. “We’ve been at this for the past hour. I don’t think I’m getting any better.”

“One more time,” he encouraged, and his fiancee sighed, straightening her back and clasping his hand in hers. “Ready?” Zuko asked.

At her nod he began counting. “Five, six, seven, eight, one, two-”

Once again Katara’s foot landed on his own.

“How are you even stepping on me? You’re supposed to be moving backwards!” he wailed in frustration. 

The exasperation Zuko felt was clearly mirrored on her face. “If I knew I wouldn’t be doing it, would I?!”

They stared at each other a moment, breathing heavily before they burst into peals of laughter.

“Stop… laughing at my dancing… asshole,” Katara managed to gasp out while clinging to his shoulder and shaking with mirth.

“You make it too easy,” Zuko chortled, yelping when she lightly smacked his shoulder.

“Maybe we should take a break,” he suggested after their laughing fit ended. The two of them were covered in sweat, and Zuko’s feet were starting to ache from being stepped on so frequently.

“Oh thank god.” Katara immediately ripped her hands free from Zuko’s and made a show of wiping them on her shirt. “Your hands are disgusting when they’re sweaty.”

“You’re disgusting,” he shot back without venom. “We’ll try again in 15 minutes. If you don’t get this by the wedding I will murder you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *intelligent comment*


	17. here, drink this. you'll feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Here, drink this. You'll feel better."_

She thinks it’s Saturday morning and she wakes up in someone else’s bed with her head pounding.

She tries to think about what happened last night.

There were drinks, shots lined up in a corner which easily slid down her throat.

There were sweaty bodies, and there was a stranger, pulled close when she hooked slender fingers into his belt loops.

She remembers lips nipping along her collarbone, and a hand tracing up the inside of her leg. 

She remembers the taste of sweat, and digging her fingernails into a broad back.

“Good morning.”

She looks up, startled from her thoughts to see a shirtless man leaning against the doorway of the bedroom, holding a cup of something steaming and warm.

“Morning,” she croaks back, wincing at the hoarseness of her voice.

His lips twitch, probably amused at her disheveled state and she glares at him.

“Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.” He walks towards her and extends the mug.

She takes the warm drink, sniffing suspiciously at it. “What is it?”

He laughs, rich and warm, and it lights up his golden eyes. “Just coffee. I promise I’m not trying to poison you. Take this too.” And he hands her an aspirin, small and white against his large palm.

Maybe she shouldn’t be taking pills from strangers. But her head is killing her and she figures if this man hasn’t murdered her yet, she will be okay. She gives him a smile and a thank you, and she knocks it back, wrinkling her nose at the bitter flavor.

“Sorry. I just made it black. I didn’t know if you wanted cream or sugar.”

“It’s fine,” she replies earnestly. “Thanks again.” She gingerly untangles herself from the sheets as she feels his eyes on her, testing her legs when she steps onto the ground.

She spots her clothes folded on a chair in the corner and smirks slightly as she wobbles over to them. “Are you this nice to all your one night stands?”

“Only the pretty ones,” is his quick reply and she barks out a short laugh. She dresses in silence, wanting to linger but not finding an excuse to do so.

“Should I show myself out?”

He shrugs. “Sure. But I look forward to seeing you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tried smth new i dont think im vibing with it tho???


	18. can i hold your hand?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Can I hold your hand?"_

Katara really, really likes Zuko.

She likes the way his hair falls in his eyes, the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs, and how his hands are always warm.

She just doesn’t know how to tell him.

Katara tried once at the Halloween party Sokka threw.

It was when they were both standing at the food table, elbow to elbow with identical frowns on their faces as they decided what to put on their plates.

While Katara had simply thrown on a soccer jersey and called that her costume, Zuko was in a full cop uniform.

It was cute. Not many of their friends still dressed up like that- they were teenagers and too cool for that sort of thing.

But Zuko had never cared about silly things like that.

“Do you know if these are any good?” He poked gently at a yogurt dipped strawberry, with a little chocolate ghost face drawn on it, before placing it on his plate.

“Um, I think so. I made them,” Katara added, a note of pride entering her voice. The stupid strawberry ghosts had taken forever, and Sokka had done almost nothing to help her with them.

“Better take two then.”

A startled laugh escaped her throat, and Katara wanted to make him a hundred yogurt covered strawberries. 

True to his word, he took two of them before loading his plate with other sweets and pizza.

Suddenly she realized- this was her moment. The chatter of the party was behind them in the living room, and most of their friends had gone out onto the porch. Katara was finally alone with him, and she could tell him how she feels.

Her fingers started and she set the orange paper plate down on the table, afraid to drop it and spill food everywhere.

“Hey Zuko? Can I tell you something?”

He looked at her from under his lashes, slightly apprehensive at the tone of her voice. “Sure.”

Katara gulped. Her throat seemed to have dried out, and her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. “I.. I think I-”

“Zuko!” Aang screamed before launching himself onto the taller boy’s back and wrapping his arms and legs around him. “What’s taking you so long?!”

“I was talking to Katara,” he snapped back, a slight pink dusting his cheeks. “Sorry, you were saying?”

Any confidence she had gathered was now gone and all Katara could do was smile weakly. “Nothing. I like your costume.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her before shrugging, still holding onto Aang and his food. “Okay then.. I’ll see you.” He grinned before turning back towards the party, leaving Katara to glare at the table and wonder if the universe was out to get her or if she was just stupid.

Katara tried again after her theater show.

Stage lights blinding her, she could feel the hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she grinned. Nothing compared to the thrill of a successful performance.

The audience’s applause thundered in her ears as she took the final bow, clasping her hands in her castmates before walking offstage.

When the lights finally came up, there was still adrenaline buzzing in her veins. Shouldering her bag, Katara scanned the audience for her family and friends before spotting Toph and Aang waving frantically towards her.

“You were amazing!” her mother gushed when she reached them, pulling her into a hug and handing her a bouquet.

“Thank you!” 

Practically collapsing under all the embraces and back pats, Katara couldn’t help but feel her heart swell. All the time spent in dress rehearsals and poring over scripts had culminated in something beautiful. She was so, so lucky.

Katara felt a tap on her shoulder, and she whirled around to see Zuko in a button down and jeans.

“You look nice,” she commented, taking delight in the way he blushed slightly and scratched at his neck.

“Um… thanks. These are for you,” Zuko said, holding out a bunch of roses, smaller than the floral monstrosity her parents had gotten her.

“For me?” Almost reverently, she curled her fingers around the roses, gingerly bringing them up to her nose for a sniff. Zuko had gotten her _flowers_. And not just any flowers. Roses.

He smiled at her, his eyes doing their telltale crinkle. “Yeah. You did really great tonight.”

“Thank you.” The rest of the auditorium blurred away as she stood, staring at the roses in her arms and making a decision.

“Zuko?” Katara took a deep breath, refusing to look at him as she tried to keep talking. “I really-”

And then she felt a fist rubbing into her head, getting tangled in all the hairspray and pins, and the moment was shattered. “Sokka, stop it!” she shrieked, slapping her older brother’s hand away as he cackled.

“Great job Tara! Who knew you were good for something other than being a brat?”

She rolled her eyes as Sokka spoke again. “Listen, we wanted to go out to eat to celebrate. How do you feel about the Jasmine Dragon?”

Katara hugged the flowers to her chest, trying to ignore the slight twinge of hopelessness at yet another failed attempt to tell Zuko she liked him. This was her night- nothing would ruin it. “The Jasmine Dragon is perfect,” she said, grinning at the people who had come to see her.

They went out to eat at the diner, probably irritating the waiters to no end with their raucous laughter and large order.

Throughout the meal, Katara caught her eyes drifting towards Zuko and anytime their gazes met, she would feel her veins sing.

But she would deal with that later.

Which led her to today.

Third time’s the charm, she convinced herself, gritting her teeth as she waited for Zuko at a table outside the coffeeshop.

There were no friends or relatives around this time to interrupt them- Katara had made sure of that.

They had taken separate cars, but it isn’t long before she sees Zuko’s silver Toyota Prius pulling into the parking lot.

She nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shorts, staring at the coffee drinks in front of her. Even in this heat, Zuko insists on getting a flat white. 

Katara went ahead and ordered for him because the longer she waits, the more she wants to put off confessing her feelings.

“I’m here! What’s up?” He slides into the seat in front of her after what feels like an eternity. 

And suddenly her mind is blank. The various speeches and scenarios she had thought out before coming here fall away as she looks at the boy in front of her. Katara clears her throat. “Here. I ordered for you.”

As she pushes the cup towards him, she notices the surprised look on his face. Was it too much? “Thank you.” Zuko takes a sip. “Flat white. You remembered.”

Katara shrugged. “It’s not that difficult.” Her own coffee order was more complicated than his, and now she can’t even remember that. “This might be a weird request but… can I hold your hand?” The words just come hurtling out of her mouth, and she wants to take them back the moment she says them.

“Sure?” Zuko’s confused, but not reluctant as he puts his coffee down and clasps one of her hands in his own.

She takes a deep breath, letting the simple touch ground her and feeling every line, every callus on his palm and fingers. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship, Zuko. But I really like you, and I would like to be something more. If you don’t return my feelings, I understand, but I just don’t want to lose you.”

Katara peeks up from under her eyelashes, taking in the flabbergasted expression on his face.

“Um… can you say something?” She can feel her voice rise in pitch as she asks, but he’s still not letting go of her hand. Even though both their palms are uncomfortably sweaty and he can probably feel her shaking.

“You… like me?” Zuko manages to rasp out.

Katara internally curses. She had known Zuko was awkward as hell, and horrible at feelings. She should’ve eased him into it more instead of dumping everything on him at once. The blue-eyed girl gives him a tiny nod and he exhales lighty.

“Wow. I didn’t think you… reciprocated.”

Wait what? Katara tries to squash the hope in her chest, fearing that she’s reading this all wrong. “Reciprocated?”

“Well, yeah. I’ve liked you for a while but I didn’t know if you-”

“Are you stupid?! I’ve been trying to tell you I’ve liked you forever!” Relief sings through her veins, and Katara wonders if maybe she had been overthinking this.

“What?” Zuko’s brows furrow in confusion.

“Yeah. I tried telling you at the Halloween party and after my show-”

“Oh my god! I wondered why you were being weird!”

They’re looking at each other now, excitement shining in their eyes and probably looking really stupid to everyone around them.

“Do you want to go out with me? On a date?” Katara says, feeling her face split into a grin at Zuko’s frantic nod.

“Yes. Yes. We can even make this a date if you want.”

She smiles and takes his sweaty hand in hers once again, feeling content with the way the day had turned out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a stupid amount of fun with this


	19. you can borrow mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"You can borrow mine."_

Katara was panicking.

She had a lab in five minutes, a final that would make up 50% of her grade, and she couldn’t take it because of the pants she was wearing.

Glaring down at the simple black shorts, she was wondering how she had remembered everything except the right clothes to wear. While the lab coat would cover her arms and body, it offered nothing for her legs. Without her legs covered, her clothing would be deemed unsafe and Katara wouldn’t be allowed to take the final.

If it was any other teacher, she would just show up late or even try to make up the lab on another day, but Professor Pakku was a stickler who would take any excuse to give her a zero. Not for the first time today, she cursed her rotten luck.

Desperately, Katara considered pulling a fire alarm, so they would all have to evacuate and take the final at a later time

Maybe she could use the time to run back to her dorm and get full-length pants. As she looked around desperately for the nearest fire alarm, she heard a worried voice.

“Katara? Are you alright?”

She turned to see Zuko staring at her, looking confused.

“Fine! Just peachy. Why do you ask?” Her voice seemed to have risen three octaves in pitch and she swore Zuko took a step back at the fake smile she plastered on.

“You looked… panicked.”

“Okay. I lied. I’m not fine,” Katara ran her fingers through her hair. “I have a final for my lab in like, five minutes and I can't do it because I’m wearing the wrong pants. She gestured at her shorts and he nodded understandingly.

“Can’t you go change? Be a few minutes late?” He suggested, but she shook her head.

“I have Pakku. He’ll give me a zero. And then I’ll fail the class, and not get my lab credit. And then I’ll have to retake this class next semester and with my luck something like this will happen again and-” Katara stopped ranting when Zuko put up a hand to stop her.

“You can borrow mine.”

She stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment before he clarified. “My pants I mean. They might not fit right but I don’t have any important classes today-”

“So you’ll just walk around campus without pants on?” Katara asked skeptically, but she was considering the suggestion. Zuko wasn’t the tallest or beefiest guy in the world, and his jeans were definitely in the lab dress code. His pants would definitely fit her.

“No, we can switch.”

“But that would-” Katara glanced up at a clock on the wall, startling when she saw she had three minutes before class. “Okay, okay fine.”

They quickly made their way to a single person bathroom, locking the door and turning away from each other to change. 

“Just throw your pants at me when you get them off,” Zuko said as Katara peeled off her own shorts. Moments later, a bundle hit the back of her calves and she grabbed it, tossing her pants back in return.

Fumbling with the button and zipper, she rolled the waist slightly so the jeans wouldn’t fall off. “Okay, I’m turning around,” Katara called. At Zuko’s grunt of acknowledgement, she turned to see him looking at his butt in the mirror.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

He jumped slightly at her tone. “They make my ass look good! Just go, okay? Good luck, and text me when you’re done.”

“I owe you big time,” Katara said, picking up her bag and sprinting from the bathroom.

Zuko was right though, she reflected as she walked into class 30 seconds before it started. His ass did look good in those shorts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ill clean this up later i started watching yuri on ice and got distracted


	20. you might like this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"You might like this."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was listening to talking to the moon by bruno mars, and this came out.
> 
> thoughts?

Zuko pushes open the back door to his apartment, and sits in one of the two chairs on the balcony.

“Hello Katara.” He pauses. There’s no response and Zuko wonders once again what he did to receive her silence.

“We haven’t talked in a bit. I know you’re upset at me, but I really wish you’d communicate with me. I think we could work this out.”

Zuko squints up at the moon, seeming to glow and surrounded by a beautiful sprinkling of stars. He lets out a short laugh, quiet enough to pass as a breath. “Oh, you might like this. Actually, I know you’ll like this. You always loved it when the moon was full. I know you joke that it looks like a tortilla, but you still stare at it with this… _look_ on your face. It’s beautiful.”

He pauses, listening to the hooting of an owl before speaking again. “You’re beautiful too. Just like the moon, but even better. I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at you.”

A cool breeze blows gently, leaving goosebumps in its wake as Zuko shivers, wishing he had thought to put on a sweater before stepping outside. “And it’s cold. You love that too. You think I don’t notice, but I do. You always seem happier when it’s wintertime.”

“I think the neighbors think I’m crazy too, you know?” He rubs at his arms, trying to bring some warmth into his body. “They’re probably wondering why I come out here, at this time of night just to sit and stare. But I mean, what else would I use this balcony for? A party? I haven’t thrown one of those in years.”

“Do you remember when this place was filled with people?” Zuko asked, not expecting a reply. “We used to host our friends so often. It was nice, talking to them and laughing. Maybe I should do something like that soon.”

He pondered his previous statement. “Or maybe not. I don’t know, I’ve never been as good with people as you are. Is that why you won’t talk to me?”

Zuko’s gotten better at controlling his anger with the years, and that is what keeps his tone steady, and his eyes focused forward. The owl hoots again, and he sighs, getting up from the chair. “It’s getting late isn’t it? I’m going to go back inside. Talk to me when you feel ready, okay? Goodbye Katara.”

With those final words, he signs the paper he had been writing on with a flourish, folding it easily and sliding it in an envelope.

Zuko knows the letter’s recipient probably better than he knows himself. And maybe that’s why he throws it into the box under the bed, full of other unsent letters, before falling asleep in a cold and empty apartment.


	21. i'll wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I'll wait."_

A bright light shone into her face, and Katara flinched awake.

Time didn’t matter here. It felt like years since she’d been brought into the dark, windowless room but logic told her it had only been a few days.

But Katara could practically _feel_ the last dredges of her sanity slipping away. Her torturer never let her sleep for an extended period of time, jolting her awake at his every whim.

She was fraying at the edges, and tired of waiting for help to come.

(Just a while back, her torturer, a cruel man they called Zuko, had told her all about the force sent from the Southern Water Tribe.

“They tried to sneak in and save you! Isn’t that nice?” While his smile matched the pleasant tone of his voice, his cold eyes told a different story.

Katara glared in response, refusing to dignify him with an answer.

“But you know what we did? We shot them. Blew every single one of their heads off. Bang.” Zuko mimed shooting a gun and frowned at her lack of reaction. “Nothing? Still not talking?” He shrugged. “It’s okay, I’ll be back later.”)

Katara flexed her hands, tied behind the chair. They were constantly numb, a small relief compared to the painful throbbing on the right side of her face.

(“You motherfucking son of a whore,” Katara had hissed, taking pleasure in the way Zuko’s facade cracked.

Moments later, he roughly backhanded her face, sending a tooth flying across the room.

“Don’t you dare say anything about my mother, bitch,” he snarled, striking her once again for good measure.

Everything hurt, but she couldn’t stop feeling a defiant stab of victory.)

“Finally ready to talk?”

Her captor’s voice had become familiar to her, and Katara smiled humorlessly at the golden-eyed man in front of her. “No.”

“I’ll wait then. Honestly, I’m surprised you’ve even held out this long. It would be so easy just to tell us.”

He hadn’t hit her yet. Sometimes Zuko would do that- just sit in front of her as she waited, tense, for a blow that wouldn’t come. Sometimes he would let her sweat for a bit before using her as his personal punching bag. Sometimes he struck immediately. It was always a hit or miss, and Katara never knew what side of him she would see.

If Zuko didn’t kill her, the constant stress probably would.. “I’m not telling you anything, asshole,” she spat.

That earned her a punch straight to the nose, already broken once. She couldn’t stop a choked scream from escaping her throat even as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep the noise in.

“You should,” Zuko snapped. “You’re being difficult for no reason. It would be so easy just to tell us.”

“Unlike you and your shitty gang,” Katara hissed, “I have honor.”

Zuko let out a yell, kicking at her chair so she fell backward, eyes faced with the artificial light on the ceiling.

And then he was kneeling on the floor, twisting her head with an iron grip on her chin so Katara would have no choice but to look at him.

“You know what I would do to you if I could?” he hissed, golden eyes narrowed into slits.

Katara watched impassively, blinking away the spots in her vision.

“I would kill you, nice and quick. But my father seems to think you’re useful for some reason so I’m stuck interrogating you, day after day. Why are you so fucking stubborn?” The last question was barely mumbled, not meant for her ears.

Katara closed her eyes and felt the weight of two fingers pressing against her temple. She felt Zuko lean even further towards her, hot breath wafting over her ear. “Bang,” he whispered, laughing when she flinched. “I’ll see you later. Try not to miss me too much!” Zuko aimed another kick at the chair, sending her skidding slightly before he stepped away and the room was once more plunged into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol they are not in love in this one but i read a mafia fic and felt inspired
> 
> edited 06/06/2020


	22. it's not heavy. i'm stronger than i look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look."_

The first time she ran into the fairy, Katara was caught unawares.

She and her steed were cantering along a stream, on the lookout for monsters when she heard the cry for help.

Frowning, she got off and walked towards the hunched over figure in the grass. Running her thumb over the hilt of her sword, she called out, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine dear, I just need some help getting up.” The woman’s voice was slightly shaky, yet the skin on the back of Katara's neck still prickled.

Wordlessly, she pulled the old lady up, letting the other woman grab her arm for support. There was a basket near her, tipped over with a few apples spilling out.

“You dropped your apples ma’am,” Katara said.

“Oh! I hadn’t even noticed. Could you please pick those up?” She leaned heavily on her cane and smiled weakly at Katara.

Exhaling harshly through her nose, she knelt down, putting the apples back in the basket while keeping the old woman in her line of sight. Not trusting herself to speak, the adventurer thrust the basket towards the lady.

“Lovely, dear. Now how about a reward?” A frail hand reached towards Katara, holding a beautiful, shiny red apple.

Suspicions confirmed, Katara gave the woman a grim smile. “No,” she said sharply before pulling out her sword and slicing the apple clean out of the lady’s hand. “I’m not stupid enough to eat fey food.”

The elderly woman’s kind face transformed into a scowl before she changed into a dark-haired male. “Oh, goddammit,” he cursed, voice delightfully low.

The fairy was taller and broader than she’d expected, forcing Katara to tip her head back to meet his eerily golden gaze. “Do you make a habit out of tricking travellers and capturing them? That’s not very nice,” she chided.

He scowled once again, crossing his arms. “They usually fall for it too. What’s your name?” the fairy asked abruptly.

Katara thought for a minute, turning the query over in her mind before replying. “You can call me Kat.” The less of her name the fairy knew, the less power he had over her.

The golden-eyed creature hummed. “Well, you can call me Zuko. And I assure you, I will trap you eventually. You’ve been giving us a lot of problems.”

The adventurer rolled her eyes. “If your brethren keep attacking villages I will keep killing them. It’s just my job.”

“Well stop doing it,” Zuko snapped before swiveling away and unfolding paper thin wings from the back of his clothes.

***

Unfortunately, avoiding Zuko was not something fate had in store for her. Sometimes he appeared in his true form, flinching away once she gave him an earful. Sometimes, the weather would change just so, and a flower would bloom in the middle of a snowfield, or the temperature would suddenly drop and Katara would hightail it out of there as fast as she could. Other times an odd looking lizard, bird, or dog with an unnervingly golden gaze would pad up to her and she would swat at it with her sword, newly modified with runes.

Never to kill. She hadn’t gotten any complaints about Zuko wreaking havoc yet, and a part of her hoped it would stay that way.

Despite the fact that he was always scowling, and constantly trying to lure her to the fairy realm, Zuko actually wasn’t bad company.

“How do you even hold this?” he had asked her one day, staring incredulously at her sword. When he had tried to touch it, he immediately hissed and pulled his hand away, glaring at Katara as she burst into peals of laughter.

She shrugged, laying back in the grass. “It’s not that heavy. I’m stronger than I look.” Her soft appearance and lithe build had deceived many into thinking she didn’t kill mythical creatures for a living. Speaking of killing mythical creatures… “You know, there haven’t been many fey attacks lately. Would you have anything to do with that?”

“Yes.” Zuko leaned against a tree, braiding daisies into a crown.

“You’re putting me out of a job,” Katara complained, allowing herself to feel a measure of relief. Fairies couldn’t lie. They often spoke in half-truths and twisted their words but with Zuko, what he said was always what he meant. 

It was rare.

“You can kill other things. Unicorns. Cyclops. Mermaids.”

“That’s true,” she mused. If Katara didn’t think about it too much, Zuko almost passed for human. But then she remembered his pointed ears, the razor sharp teeth, the terrifyingly gold eyes and she was snapped back to reality.

“Kat…” She turned towards him at his hesitant tone, Zuko’s gaze downcast as he fiddled with the daisy crown. “Will you marry me?”

Katara shot up from her position in the grass, and grabbed at the earth. “What?!”

“You could've just said no,” he mumbled, the tips of his ears reddening slightly.

“No, no, I’m just… surprised.” She was. The proposal was unexpected, and there was the small matter that they were different species and one wrong step with him would _fucking kill her_ and did she even like Zuko?

“I’m sorry! It’s just… I think you’re really brave. And smart. And beautiful.”

“Zuko, I’m a human. I like being human.” Katara kept her voice soft, trying to handle the situation as though it was made of glass. Because it might as well have been.

“You’re right. Asking was selfish. Sorry again.”

She waved it off, absorbing the strangeness of the situation. “But I can give you something else.” The wording was intentional- things given freely had power and she could tell Zuko noticed by the way he stopped slouching, posture alert. “My name.”

The air around them chilled and Katara fought off a shiver. “I thought you didn’t trust fey,” the fairy said, voice cold.

“I don’t. But I do trust you. And if you take advantage of this…” the adventurer let out a breath. “...I have friends. I would rather it not come to that though.”

Zuko nodded, finally letting the air warm up again. “Do you want my full name too?”

“Sure.” 

Crawling over, she whispered the syllables into his ear, noticing the shaky inhale he took before doing the same for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdghjkl this is hard why did i do this to myself


	23. just because

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mentions of cheating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Just because."_

Zuko came home even later than usual today, and Katara bit her lip in frustration as he walked through the door of their apartment.

“You’re late,” she said, trying and failing to keep the ice out of her tone.

“Sorry, I was… busy.”

Of course. He was always busy nowadays. Katara could excuse away the smell of another woman’s perfume, the hickeys she didn’t leave, the late nights Zuko spent at ‘work’ but not the texts she saw light up his phone last night when they were both in bed and supposed to be asleep.

“Yeah. Sure. Dinner’s in the fridge.” She knocked back the last of her wine before standing up from the couch and walking towards their shared office. They hadn’t eaten together in weeks now.

“Um, wait. I wanted to give you something.”

Katara turned towards her boyfriend, seeing the small box he held in his outstretched hand. She also noticed the way his shirt was buttoned improperly, and the smudged lipstick stain on his collarbone. 

She reached for it and flipped open the lid, revealing a beautiful pendant, delicate and silvery. Katara let the chain run through her fingers before speaking. “It’s not a birthday or an anniversary. Why’d you buy this?”

Zuko shrugged, smiling easily at her. “Just because.”

And she didn’t know why. But those two words made something coil in her gut and snap. “Really? Not because you’ve been screwing some other floozy when you’re supposed to be dating me? Not because you’re feeling guilty?”

Katara saw his golden eyes widen slightly at her outburst, yet she couldn’t even find it in herself to feel bad.

“I don’t… what brought this on?”

“Are you kidding?!” Her voice rose sharply at the end, making Zuko wince. “You’re about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. I’ve tried to pretend everything is okay, but you just keep-” Katara gestured wildly, trying to articulate the anger that had been building up in her for who knows how long.

“Okay, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it-”

“If you thought there were problems in our relationship you should’ve talked to me!” Katara shouted, hating the way her voice broke and the way warm tears slipped down her face.

Zuko flinched, before yelling back at her. “I’m sorry, okay! I didn’t know how!”

“So that makes it okay to fuck other women?!”

He was crying too now and despite herself, Katara felt something tear within her. “It’s not like you tried either!” Zuko spat.

“Maybe I didn’t! But at least I didn’t _cheat_!”

The insinuation hung heavy between, finally a name to what they had been dancing around. Zuko’s shoulders slumped and he seemed to fall in on himself. “I’m sorry,” he rasped out, voice shaky. “Maybe we can fix this.”

“No.” Katara wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath, choking slightly on the air. “I don’t think I can trust you again. I’m sorry.” 

Sometime during the course of their argument, she had clenched the necklace Zuko gave her into her fist, the pendant digging into her palm. Slowly, Katara unfurled her hand and let the jewelry slip through her fingers onto the floor. “We’re done. I’ll move out in the next three days. You can sleep in the bed- I’m taking the couch,” she said, suddenly feeling hollow. 

Instead of begging or pleading for her to reconsider, Zuko simply gave a stiff nod. “Fine.”

As Katara walked to their bedroom to grab extra blankets, she swore she heard the ghost of a last ‘I’m sorry.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is everything i write angst or tearing these two apart gOOD GRIEF


	24. look both ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Look both ways."_

He’s usually more attentive than this.

Zuko’s workplace is only a few blocks from his apartment, so he feels no pain in walking the short distance.

Moving to New York City may have been an impulse decision, but a great decision nonetheless. He loved it, even when he was packed like a sardine onto the subway or saw a rat run over his shoe.

It made leaving behind everything he had known bearable, and Zuko wouldn’t have had it any other way.

He’s at the last of the crosswalks he needs to walk across, buildings looming impossibly high all around him, when a movement at the corner of his eye distracts him.

Zuko looks up while still walking, noticing the flurry of papers raining down on him, seemingly from the clouds. He stands in the middle of the street, transfixed as he watches the pages flutter to the road.

While the other pedestrians noticed the oddity, making passing remarks about some poor office worker leaving a window open, none of them had stopped walking like he did. 

And maybe that’s why as Zuko was standing and watching the sky, wondering how something this ordinary and magical could happen, he didn’t register the car careening towards him, the beep of a horn heard too late, the hand wrapped around his arm to yank him forward.

Time seemed to slow. I almost died, he realized belatedly as he looked at his savior who was currently… yelling at him?

“...like look both ways before crossing the street, idiot! Who knows what would’ve happened if I didn’t pull you off the street!”

She was almost screeching, blue eyes wide with fear and anger.

“I- thank you.” Zuko gulped dryly, turning to look at the crosswalk he had just been standing on. The papers had since all fallen to the ground and been run over by the moving cars. “I’m sorry. I’m usually more careful.”

“It’s fine.” The woman who saved him is speaking more softly, calmer after her outburst. “I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“It’s alright. It was just-” He gestured vaguely towards the street. “The papers....”

Zuko’s savior nodded, as though understanding his vague sentence fragments. “Yeah, that was pretty weird. You don’t think it was destiny do you?”

“I’m not sure honestly.” 

She looked thoughtful at his statement. “Hm. That’s fair I guess.”

“But,” Zuko continued, not wanting to leave this stranger just yet, “Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out.” His uncle’s words had followed him, across oceans and countries and resonated in his bones.

“That sounds really smart. I’m Katara.” The blue-eyed girl held out a hand and Zuko shook it. 

“Zuko. Would you like to go out sometime?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look i didnt even hurt anyone this time


	25. i'm sorry. i didn't mean to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."_

**i**

Katara was a December baby.

Her birthday fell in the week before Christmas, and more often than not the day was graced by a beautiful snowfall.

Zuko looked at the present in his hands, neatly wrapped in scarlet with a gold bow on top. The crunch of snow was the only sound right now, his footprints marring the sparkling white. 

Despite the cold, the river he was following wasn’t frozen over, water dark and placid.

As Zuko approached the riverbend, he heard the chatter of others and felt his cheeks stretch into a smile on his face as he approached the group of his friends.

“Happy birthday, Katara!” he said, handing her the gift before she wrapped him in a hug.

“Thanks for coming.” She smiled at him, squeezing one of his gloved hands in her own.

**ii**  
Once again, Zuko walked towards the river, snow crushed under his feet.

It had been a year since he was last here and the beautiful scenery seemed unchanged. The contents of the gift in his hands had changed, but the wrapping job didn’t.

Even though his hair was longer and the cat he adopted a few months ago was just a bit bigger, the present was still covered in scarlet and gold and its recipient was still the same.

“Happy birthday Katara,” he said softly, walking towards her as she watched the water.

She turned towards him, smile lighting up her eyes. “Thank you.”

None of their friends were here this time. It was just them, the trees, and a slow moving river.

Once again she hugged him and squeezed his gloved hands and a part of Zuko wished it wasn’t so cold just so he could take off his gloves and touch her for real.

“I need to tell you something,”Katara said and his stomach dropped.

“Sure. What is it?”

“I… don’t think I can come back here next year.”

Zuko’s mind wouldn’t stop whirling. “Oh.” Why was she leaving? Everything was here. Her job, her friends, him-

“I got an opportunity. Somewhere far away.” Katara wasn’t looking at him now, simply fiddling with the bow on her present. “I know my life is here. But I don’t know if I can get anything like this ever again. I just wanted to tell you first.” He can’t stop staring at her downturned face, the exhales curling like wisps of smoke from her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Something raw and hard rises in Zuko’s throat and he has to swallow so it goes away and he can speak again. “That’s okay. I’ll miss you.”

**iii**  
True to her word, Katara didn’t come back. 

The world kept turning. He still had his friends, his cat, his life patching up the hole she left.

But Zuko can’t stop himself from making the trek to the river, fluffy white snow marred by the soles of his shoes.

There’s still a present in his hands, wrapped in scarlet with a gold bow on top. 

The heartbreak was constant in the immediate aftermath, made worse by the letters and calls that slowly faded.

On days like this it hit him once again, and Zuko had to do something or he would go crazy.

And that’s why he still wrapped up a present and set it in the snow, where two years, a year ago he would have handed it to Katara and had his hand held in return.

The river still isn’t frozen, and the snow still fell on her birthday but Katara’s gone and that makes all the difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yike


	26. try some

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Try some."_

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, can I get your-” Zuko breaks off suddenly as he notices the girl he’s talking to.

“You!” They shout at the same time, staring accusingly at each other. “What are you doing here?!”

“You first,” Katara says hastily before he has a chance to ask her to do the same.

“Why should I tell you?” Zuko hisses, eyes narrowing into slits. If the other customers have noticed something wrong, they aren’t showing it, continuing to laugh and chatter as though two enemies weren’t confronting each other beside them.

“So I don’t tell the authorities there are Fire Nation fugitives hiding under their nose!” she gripes back.

Zuko takes a seat across from her. Uncle can do without his help for a few minutes. He needs to defuse the situation. “You’re bluffing. They’re useless.”

The waterbender scoffs in response, but does nothing to refute his statement. “I’ll figure something out.”

He had no doubt she would. Zuko thinks about their fight at the North Pole and winces at the memory. “My uncle and I are trying to start over. I promise, I’m not here to hunt the avatar. We just want to make a living.”

“So you chose tea making?” Katara raises an eyebrow skeptically, but her expression softens. “What would Fire Nation royalty be doing as tea servers?”

Zuko laughed quietly. “Uncle’s actually really good at what he does. You should try some.”

Katara narrows her eyes. “You’re not trying to poison me, are you?”

“No! Uncle would kill me! I swear I don’t want to harm you or your friends.”

She stared at him for a minute, scrutinizing him and trying to find the lie. But she wouldn’t find any. Because Zuko was many things, but dishonest was not one of them. “Fine,” Katara said a bit reluctantly. “What would you recommend?”

He hummed thoughtfully, thinking about what others ordered. “The green tea is a classic. You can’t really go wrong with that.”

“Okay. One of that please.”

“I’ll be back soon with your order. And then you can tell me what you’re doing here?” Zuko winced at the question- he was curious about why the avatar was in Ba Sing Se but he didn’t want to push Katara into hostility again. She had just started being polite to him!

To his surprise, she smiled, folding her hands in front of her. “Sure. I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hear that? that's the sweet sweet sound of canon divergence.


	27. drive safely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Drive safely."_

“Please don’t kill me,” Aang says to Katara as she slides into the seat on the other side of his desk.

She frowns in confusion. “Why would I do that?” 

“So you know how we have to work with Toph Beifong?”

Katara winced at the author’s name as she responded. “Yeah, why?”

“Well she thinks you’re incompetent by yourself. Because of the fiasco with the last book.”

She scoffed. “I was late with my edits one time! My record is spotless otherwise. Besides, I don’t work with others.”

Aang turned the screen of his laptop towards her. “But you’d get paid! Lots of cash for both you and Z-” He hesitated slightly before continuing. “And your partner.”

Katara stared at all the zeroes and whistled. “Is this book really that important?”

Her handler shrugged, turning the laptop back towards him once again. “She almost won a Nebula Award last year. Ms. Beifong wants the best but she also wants everything done on her schedule..”

“You still haven’t told me who my partner is…” she mused, thinking about what she would do with the money. Some of it would be sent to her family of course. But maybe Katara could buy herself something nice. Like a new hat.

“Oh. Um…” Aang fidgeted. “Do you think you’re going to be able to work on the book?”

“Sure. Whoever my partner is can’t be that bad if Toph thinks they’re the best.” Katara leaned back in her chair slightly.

“It’s Zuko.” The two words came out of Aang’s mouth in a rush and the front legs of her chair thunked on the floor.

“Why _him?!_ ”

***

Two years.

That was how long Katara and Zuko had been together.

They were going to get married, for fuck’s sake. The two of them had agreed on a beach wedding and were even talking about having children.

And then he left. 

It wasn’t even a proper breakup. 

The night had been like any other, both of them sleeping as Zuko wrapped around Katara like a monkey. 

The next morning he was gone, all traces of him vanished, as though they had never been together in the first place.

Katara had tried calling initially. But he had changed his number, removed her from his socials, and it didn’t take a genius to realize they were through.

She just wished she knew why.

Even thinking about the events left a bitter taste in her mouth, which multiplied tenfold when she met up with Zuko at her apartment.

“I didn’t know you moved out,” was the first thing he said to her, voice just as soft and raspy as all that time ago and Katara wanted to explode.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I move out, asshole?” She retorted, opening the door wider to let him in.

Zuko walked inside, not bothering to hide the fact that he was flat out staring at her new place. “We have a book to edit,” was his only reply.

***

Editing wasn’t easy.

Falling into old habits was.

Maybe that’s why they ended up on the couch, slumped over each other as Katara carded her fingers through Zuko’s hair.

“Your hair’s a little longer,” is what she says, watching the way it curls down his neck. 

_You left me_ , is what she doesn’t say, pressing her lips to his temple. _You broke my heart._

Zuko made a noise of acknowledgement before flipping over a page of the manuscript and going to town on it with a red pen. “I like what you did with yours.”

He doesn’t mean to flirt. Katara’s ex has about as much charm as a rock. But the words still bring a blush to her face as she tugs on shorter, more layered hair she had taken on after the ‘breakup’. “Thanks.”

They don’t talk much for the next few hours, the sun slowly beginning to dip below the horizon. Time is marked only by the scratching of a pen, and the turn of pages.

The next time Katara looks at the clock, it is 9 PM and she literally jumps off the couch. 

Zuko looks at her questioningly, not noticing anything. “What’s wrong?”

It’s so easy to fall into old habits. “Have you seen the time? We’ve been working forever- we didn’t even eat dinner.”

His golden eyes flickered towards the clock on her microwave. “Oh. I guess I should go then.”

As Katara watched him gather up his pages, a fresh wave of guilt washed through her. She could still feel him leaning on her shoulder, letting Katara place her legs over her own.

What did it say about her that she was still willing to let him in, as though nothing had happened?

“Drive safely,” she managed to choke out, walking Zuko to the door.

He wavered, turning back slightly as he stepped over the threshold. “Katara-”

She held up a hand, cutting him off. “Don’t. I don’t think I want to know.”

For a second it looked as though Zuko was about to protest, but he simply clenched his jaw and nodded. “Good night.”

Seeing him walk away again shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i haven't been updating i've been uh.... *spins excuse wheel* ...fighting an alligator
> 
> also i overestimated my creativity lmaoooooo but i got antsy from not writing and this came out!!!


	28. one more chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"One more chapter."_

“Come on, just one more chapter! Please mom!” Katara smiles at the wide-eyed look Achilles gives her, blue eyes sparkling in the lamplight.

Her son is five now, but Katara still feels a surge of love and joy when she realizes how lucky she is.

Achilles had been born in the heat of summer, just like his father. He was a healthy eight pounds, and came out red faced and positively shrieking. 

Zuko, bless his heart, had somehow managed to stay beside Katara as she gave birth, face even paler than usual as she crushed his fingers in an iron grip.

The process of giving birth was a blur- right now all she remembered was smiling wearily as she held her child, before letting the nurse hand the baby off to Zuko.

Choosing Achilles’ name wasn’t hard- Katara had studied classics at university and Zuko knew a strong name when he saw one.

“We’re going to name him Achilles,” she had told Suki, as she and Sokka stepped in to visit with her. “After the Greek warrior.”

Sokka tied the balloon to a chair before cooing and poking at Achilles in his bassinet. “I can’t believe you didn’t even consider my name suggestion,” he said.

Suki snorted at that and Katara rolled her eyes. “I’m not naming my kid Hippopothomas, Sokka.”

Zuko had been all for it of course. He thought it would be funny for their then unborn child to go around telling people his name was Tom, and when asked what it was short for, would have to say ‘Hippopothomas’.

“Katara, it’s funny!” He had exclaimed, when she lazily flung a pillow at him for even bothering to consider Sokka’s name suggestion.

The pregnancy had also been without complication as far as they were all concerned. She and Zuko found out in December, after her period had been late and she peed on a drugstore pregnancy test.

They had been trying for months then, and while the pregnancy test brought with it hope and elation, it also brought the fear of something going wrong.

She had felt nothing short of relief when the gynecologist confirmed the pregnancy, and Zuko and her had gotten cheesecake to celebrate.

April was when they figured out the gender of the baby. The past few months had been a blur of backaches, keeping the fridge stocked with chocolate at all times, and her stomach growing. It was definitely getting harder to move around, and Katara was going to start maternity leave in a few weeks.

Her classics students at the university had also started picking names for her, ranging from suggestions as idiotic as Sokka’s to genuinely thoughtful responses. 

“What about Persephone for a girl?” She asks Zuko as he pulls into the parking lot of the gynecologist's office.

He hums thoughtfully. “Are there other options?”

“Artemis?”

“Sounds good. What about for a boy?”

“Achilles,” Katara says without hesitation. She has thought about this for a while. A strong, noble warrior, the greatest of all Greeks.

“That’s a good name.”

And then they found out their child was a boy, and Achilles was named even before he was born.

Maybe it was too fast. But they had their gender reveal party, painted the nursery a pale, neutral yellow and decorated with decals of dragons, and awaited Achilles’ birth.

Zuko had worried about fatherhood. Katara knew his childhood had been rough and the relationship with his own father was strained, but she had full confidence that Zuko would be nothing short of wonderful.

She saw it now, in how he let Achilles jump on his back after a long day at work and let their son draw all over his arms in washable marker.

“One more chapter,” Katara concedes in the present, flipping the book open once again, the warmth in her chest threatening to burst out of her ribs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im thinking ill churn out another 25 this month and then take a lil break aha  
> i will edit later i pinky promise!!!!!


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